Something's Gotta Hold on Me
by iluvtodance
Summary: Re-write of 6x17. Bonnie couldn't shake the feeling of immense guilt over her decision to seek revenge on Kai by stabbing him and leaving him for dead in the 1903 prison world. The decision hovered over her, making her re-think the purpose of revenge in the first place. Bonkai feels.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I don't own** _ **TVD.**_ **Does anyone want to own the show at this point though? For real? Lol**

 **A/N: Inspired by episode 6x17 "Like a Bird in a Gilded Cage." Bonnie being the benevolent, genuinely good person that she is felt really guilty over finally getting her revenge on Kai the way she did and simultaneously releasing Lily Salvatore who is a sociopathic killer in her own right…so I'm still trying to figure out how the writers really thought we as audience are that stupid to fall for that screwed up logic and actually feel sorry/ approve of Damon's hypocrisy in this situation. Sigh…I could go on all day, sorry! Enjoy this re-write of the episode's ending.**

Bonnie sat still, watching the slowly burning fire as if enchanted by the sparks of color. The crackling of the fire soothed her distraught thoughts by giving her a tangible distraction to hold onto in lieu of her mind delving dangerously into a state of paralysis. She had just recovered from a panic attack where her breathing labored to the point of wheezing, her body trembled to the point of breaking, and her tears fell to the point of completely drying her out of tears to spare. Once she, Elena, and Damon returned from the prison world, Bonnie could only follow the instinctual pull that told her to isolate herself from everyone in order to retain a grip on reality. Her trip to the 1903 prison world assaulted her already fragile state of health, plunging her again into a situation that was all too familiar-prison world, ascendant, Kai. Kai. Even the mere thought of his name caused her body to violently react. Clutching her chest in an effort to calm her erratically beating heart, Bonnie tried to focus on the positive outcome of the trip-her tormenter's entrapment. However, the idea of Kai trapped in another prison world did nothing to ease her mind. On the contrary, it caused more unease. Bonnie just couldn't eradicate Kai's pleas and looks of desperation from her mind. His sudden need for her forgiveness startled her and initially formed dread and unease into her gut, but now that she finally received her revenge by stabbing him and leaving him for dead in another prison, she couldn't help but feel a lack of vindication from the whole ordeal. It was guilt, a tiny sense of guilt that lodged itself in her heart. This guilt created more agony for her, and in no way was there a chance for it to go away anytime soon.

Suddenly, a soft tapping at the door interrupted her thoughts, and she heard the faint sound of the door being pushed open. She tried to summon the energy to turn around and face the visitor, but all she did was huddle further into herself, watching the fire intently.

"Bon?"

She mustered the willpower to glance at the familiar figure of Damon Salvatore who had sat next to her on the couch and watched her with concerned eyes. Blinking slowly, she made eye contact with him fleetingly before facing the fire once again. She didn't face him when he started speaking.

"I wanted to check on you. Make sure your witchy head is okay," he tried to joke with her, but his soft tone prevented any humor from coming out.

"Never better," Bonnie lied.

Damon sighed, his eyes watching her intently. "I know I asked a lot from you today. Working with Kai to go back to another prison world. But, I appreciate it. To have my mother back..." He stopped before his voice trembled and revealed his vulnerability.

Bonnie could only nod at her friend, still lost in the fire. She didn't want her mind to betray her and think about Kai. Especially about how she had helped Damon release one threat while trapping another. The hypocrisy was purely illogical and made Bonnie's head hurt.

After a long stretch of silence, Damon spoke up again, "I know it was difficult to work with Kai again, but at least he is gone for good. We could never trust him, and you made sure that we would never have to worry about him again." Damon reached out to pat Bonnie's shoulder reassuringly.

Bonnie listened to Damon's words without a trace of emotion. She was fully aware that she was the one who decided to leave Kai behind in the prison world, but she felt neither proud or satisfied by her actions. Heaving a deep breathe, Bonnie wrung her hands together as she tried to summon the courage to really be truthful with Damon. "I did nothing good today," she confessed quietly.

Furrowing his brows together, Damon squeezes her shoulder quickly before letting go and staring at her. "What?" The only question he could manage.

"What made it okay for me to leave him behind? He's killed less people than all of our friends combined for sure. And your mother…" The words spilling out of her mouth carried a weird numbing effect on Bonnie—she felt almost emotionless as the honest words fell from her tongue. "How was it good? Nothing about it is good," she mumbled the last part under her breath, not caring to look at Damon anymore. She focused on the flames instead, which seemed to dance even more vividly under her gaze.

Eyeing her with confusion and unsettling disdain, Damon could only lick his lips, while a perplexed look dominated his handsome features. Bonnie seemed out of it. "I'm not following." He admitted the words after a long stretch of silence.

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, suddenly tired of talking about it. "Forget it." She tried to sound nonchalant despite the overwhelming sense of despair that latched itself into her psyche, preventing her from feeling any semblance of positive emotion. Guilt was literally eating her alive. She really thought that enacting revenge on Kai would magically alleviate her pain, but ironically, it merely heightened her sadness and perpetuated her anxiety. She retreated to the level of a killer when she left him for dead back in the prison world, and nothing about Bonnie Bennett was supposed to be a killer. Suddenly a spark of fire jumped from the fireplace, dangerously approaching the rug that covered the dorm's floor and causing Damon to jump back in surprise.

"Bonnie," Damon spoke cautiously, "What's going on with you? Kai's out of your life forever." He released a frustrated sigh as a troubling thought occurred. "You feel guilty for leaving him behind?" Damon rolled his eyes as he wracked his brain for the possible people who could've told Bonnie about Kai's effort in saving her. "Look Bonnie. Kai probably had ulterior motives when he helped us communicate with you in 1994 on your birthday. Don't let one act make you forget all the bad he's done. You and your witchy morals are too much to keep up with sometimes." He ran his fingers through his hair, missing the sudden confusion and fury that crossed Bonnie's demeanor.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded.

Damon glanced at her, surprised to see such a blatant display of panic on her face. "Don't forget that Kai is a psycho. Who cares that he helped a little bit?"

Bonnie's hands trembled, and her voice sounded weak to her own ears. "What did he do?" Her eyes stared helplessly into Damon's, waiting for an explanation.

When Damon realized that Bonnie didn't know anything about Kai's efforts in helping with her rescue attempt, he desperately tried to back track. "Nothing." He stated forcefully. He stood up, pacing the floor quickly before turning towards her now huddled form. "It doesn't matter. You took care of him." When Bonnie gave no sign of acknowledging his words, Damon sighed deeply.

After a minute of more silence, the vampire gave up on the stonily silent witch. "I'm gonna go. Give you a chance to rest," his voice softened as he looked at her with a steady, concerned gaze. "I'll stop by in the morning." Damon threw her one more look of concern before backing away and leaving Bonnie alone with her burden. She probably sat in the same position for hours before she sprung into action, grabbing her family Grimoire, and resting it on her lap as she poured over different spells until she disappeared from the present in a flash, leaving her open spell book behind.

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The trickling snow momentarily deceived Bonnie into believing the place was a peaceful sanctuary away from her real life reality, but the horrors housed here for years wouldn't be purged by the seemingly calm winter wonderland. A sort of reformed psychopathic warlock lingered somewhere along with the rest of Lily's Salvatore's undead army, so Bonnie had to be on high alert as she cautiously explored the prison world.

In the distance, a soft glow of light emitted from the cottage Bonnie faintly remembered seeing both Damon and Elena enter when they searched for Lily Salvatore. Taking cautious steps into the fluffy snow, Bonnie walked to the cottage, mentally preparing herself for what she could possibly find there.

Sounds of pain filled moans reached her ears as she crossed the threshold of the cottage, and Bonnie used the trail of sounds as her guide to find her target. Eventually, she found him, but the sight wasn't one she was prepared for. Bite marks littered almost every exposed part of his body-neck, forearms, wrists—and he lay on the coach curled in a fetal position with eyes closed tightly as his jaw clenched in pain. Her heart lurched as she surveyed his injured form, and despite her better judgment, she approached the coach until she found a spot at a comfortable distance on the floor where she knelt. She began to murmur a healing spell under her breathe until she noticed Kai's tense expression soften, signaling a break from his pain. The warlock opened his eyes, immediately preparing to defend himself from the new presence in the room. However, once his eyes found Bonnie, recognition flashed in his eyes, causing his body to slightly relax even if his face still exhibited caution. For a moment the two just stared at one another, unable to make a movement, but eventually Kai broke the silence with a dry laugh that was tinged with disbelief. The sound sent chills down Bonnie's spine.

"I'm hallucinating," he admitted after his laughter died down. "Great." He clenched his jaw before resting his head against the couch arm in defeat.

After a second debating with herself, Bonnie spoke up. "You're not." She trained her gaze on his face, diligently watching for a change in expression that would signal a threat to her. Kai was still the unpredictable boy she met in 1994, so she couldn't let her guard down. However, his cautiously hopeful expression surprised her, reminding her of the boy who seemed desperate to get on her good side before they traveled to the 1903 prison world. A new side to Kai that appeared after he left 1994 and merged with his brother.

"You're really here?" The way his eyes lit up at the thought of her presence unsettled her for a brief moment as more guilt crept into her mind.

She nodded her head, eyes glancing at the soaked fragment of cloth that served as a bandage for a fresh wound on his arm. Without thinking, Bonnie reached forward and rested her hand against the injured arm. Kai's eyes widened when they made contact, proving that she really was there with him, and Bonnie furrowed her brow as she thought of possible sources for another clean bandage.

Still shocked by her presence, Kai grabbed her own arm, causing Bonnie's breath to hitch and her defense instincts to kick in by yanking her arm from his grasp and moving away from him. Kai looked hurt by her actions, but he quickly concealed his disappointment by questioning her. "I thought you left me here? You came back?"

Fumbling for the right response, Bonnie found a spot on the ground to rest upon before answering. "I couldn't just...it felt wrong after a while. It's not me." She admitted the last part with an air of defeat, her head tilting downwards.

"You're right," he admitted quietly, his eyes full of admiration for her. She found new ways to fascinate him. "What changed your mind?"

Her eyes met his before she answered. "Did you really help my friends communicate with me when I was still stuck in 1994? On my birthday?" Bonnie's voice trembled with faint hope as she questioned him, afraid of the possibility of what it meant for her that he would do that.

Kai gulped, his eyes never leaving hers as he responded to her. "Yes." He frowned, "It was a spell that needed to be done. I managed in time before Liv tried to kill me. Jeremy went to send you a message. To stop you." He watched her, his expression turning morose as he thought about her suicide plot. That day, he never felt so sad over someone else's well being.

Biting her lip in an effort to stop its quivering, Bonnie cleared her throat to erase any sign of emotion from lingering in her voice when she made her next confession. "My friends went weeks without trying to rescue me. Jeremy deleted my cell phone plan and moved on really quickly to forget about me, and my friends were throwing me a birthday party while I had spent every day of the week leading up to my birthday sobbing so hard until night fell and I went to sleep with severe headaches, but you—the person who tormented me in your prison world—actually put in an effort to help me when your life was at risk. You did something that day that actually helped right away." She released a hoarse laugh that held no happiness whatsoever, just hollowness. "You have to love irony."

Kai regarded her sadly. "You deserved the help. It was the least I could do after everything." His voice carried so much remorse, stunning Bonnie into silence.

She scooted closer to him, wearily reaching out to touch one of the many bite marks on his un-bandaged arm. "Let's get out of here," she stated as she surveyed his injuries. As she did so, Kai stared at her, transfixed by her presence, and most importantly, the regard she showed for his well being. Kai Parker was convinced that somehow an angel had been sent to rescue him.

"You mean it?" His voice rose, exhibiting his anxiety about all that was happening. For all he knew, The conversation with Bonnie could all be part of an elaborate hallucination created by his mind, but the conflicted brown eyes that bore into his own instilled a faint sense of hope in his heart that somehow it all might be real. "Really?" He asked again, not bothering to hide his fear that it all wasn't real.

"Yes," she confirmed after hesitating for a moment. Perhaps guilt, a good heart, and the bad habit of being honorable to a fault drove her to make this monumental effort to help Kai. Plus there was a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach that urged her to forget logic and go with her gut—why else couldn't she sleep at night over guilt about Kai? "I came back to help you. Having feelings is a curse," she grumbled, standing up and searched the room quickly for any sign of company.

"Tell me about it," Kai stated while struggling to get up. He paused, slightly shocked, when Bonnie extended her arm for him to grab. He looked at her, awaiting her verbal permission to touch her, but she never met his gaze; instead, her eyes searched the room in fear. Kai timidly reached out, wrapping his hand around Bonnie's until he stood up. He kept his hand tightly latched around her own as he trailed behind her, slightly in awe that he was even touching her. Shaking his head, Kai tried to regain his focus and be alert as possible to defend them against Lily's undead friends.

"Bonnie," he called out worriedly, "Let me." He shuffled forward, wincing in pain due to his stab wound and many bite marks, until he stood in front of her. "In case, they show up. You'll have a chance to get out of here." His mouth curled into a half smile as he spoke, while his hand never loosened its grip on her arm. He began moving forward, careful to place his body in front of Bonnie's, ready to shield her from any harm.

Despite her best effort to remain objective, Kai's concern over her safety tugged at her already softening heart and compelled her to speak up. "Why? I should be in front. I'm physically okay. In fact, I'm the reason you're here...why do you want to help me?" Her voice edged into hysteria with each new question. Bonnie didn't want to truly confront the possible reason why Kai suddenly cared for her safety or why she cared for his.

Kai surprised her by halting suddenly and turning to face her. His face, now pale from the loss of blood from his injuries, "I owe you. Probably a million times over. Truce?"

Despite his pain and weakness, his eyes lit up with hope waiting for her answer, making him look innocent—an odd phenomenon that happened often despite his unhinged mental state. Bonnie, entranced by his considerate answer and deceptive looks, just gaped at him while her heart raced. "Truce," she relented in a whisper that satisfied Kai, prompting him to turn around and continue to lead them through the cottage.

"Do you have the ascendant?" He questioned.

Diving her free hand into her coat pocket, Bonnie felt the familiar shape of the ascendant against her fingers, which briefly alleviated her growing anxiety. "Yeah, I have it." A frown adorned her face as she tried to figure out how they would escape this cold, barren prison world. A noise from outside halted Bonnie and Kai's movements, sending them into frightened state. Bonnie tightened her hold on Kai's arm, "Is that them?" She whispered fearfully.

Kai cleared his throat, trying to quell the quivering from his voice to sound secure for Bonnie's sake, but he failed and allowed his fear to seep into his strangled whisper. "Yup." He began to divert their path, leading them into a tiny closet when the noises of angry voices began to surround the small house, reverberating through the room. After he closed the door behind them, he leaned against the wall, actively avoiding her scared gaze.

"Why didn't you use magic against them when you were left behind," she interrogated him, afraid of his answer. The small space began to make her feel claustrophobic, instilling more panic in her mind as she watched Kai—someone who was usually so confident slowly fall into an obvious petrified state, complete with shaking, avoidance of eye contact, and labored breathing. The image made her feel more desperate about their situation.

Continuing to avoid her gaze, Kai crossed his arms across his chest as if he could protect himself from the question. He didn't want to admit weakness, but they were both in serious danger in this situation, so there was no point to lying. "I have no magic right now." He gathered the courage to make eye contact and almost changed his mind when he saw the look of panic and disbelief on her face.

"How is that possible? You took my magic in 1994. Your powers were restored when you escaped the prison world. You helped me…" Her eyes gazed the ground as her mind frantically tried to figure out an explanation to Kai's defenselessness. Her head snapped up suddenly, and she fixated her gaze on a candle that was propped against the wall. "Light that candle," she demanded. Kai sighed deeply, retreating further into himself as he ignored her request.

"Can't," he responded. His usual sarcastic tone had disappeared and was replaced with a foreign one—tinged with embarrassment, self-consciousness, and sadness. Bonnie felt a familiar fluttering sensation of her heart as she once again felt sorry for this much more subdued version of Kai. Reaching out to grab his hand, she stepped closer to him until they were barely inches apart. "Try now," she demanded more gently this time.

Gulping heavily, Kai tried to ignore the proximity to Bonnie and focus on the task. In an instant, the candle lit up, illuminating the tiny room. Kai didn't feel like celebrating the accomplishment, since it proved his worst fears about his magical ability—his only way to tap into magic by draining another witch or warlock of it.

"It's not possible," Bonnie stated. Her eyes watched Kai, as memories of their time in 1994 flashed through her mind. His desperate, constant nagging and mocking her for not being able to perform magic, and the dizzy, weak sensation that burdened her every time he touched her skin all pointed to the likelihood that Kai needed a source to tap into his own magical powers. He couldn't muster them on his own. Why she never figured it out sooner, baffled her.

The sounds of snarls and slow footsteps drew closer and closer, prompting both Kai and Bonnie to snap out their intimate conversation and face the incredibly real threat looming outside the confined space of the closet they huddled into.

"Kai," Bonnie whispered frantically, "We need to do something quick. You need to take some magic from me or else we won't be able to fend them off," her chest heaved with panic, causing Kai to move closer to her and wrap his arms around her waist in a vain attempt of comforting her.

"I know," he whispered back, trying to soothe her. "You trust me?"

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Bonnie nodded slowly, her eyes wide in fear as her ears registered the footsteps outside the door. "Kai, please…"

Kai interrupted her plea, pressing his lips hurriedly against hers in a desperate but strangely soothing kiss. It took a moment for Bonnie to register the action, but she found herself kissing him back out of a weird mixture of paralyzing fear and need for comfort in their dire situation. The adrenaline rush from being in immediate danger caused both of them to seek some form of assurance, making them clutch tighter to one another and deepen the kiss until neither one could breathe properly. Bonnie didn't question her sanity for second while she kissed Kai, because a part of her had slowly registered the realization that she wanted to kiss him this entire time. Never again could she get on either Elena or Caroline's case about their choice in boyfriends.

For Kai, his burden of guilt over his treatment of Bonnie in his prison world and his oddly genuine feelings for her spilled into the intimate gesture, spurring him to hold her closer despite breaking the kiss first. He never completely pulled away, his lips ghosting over hers, sending chills down her spine as he spoke. "Okay?" He asked the question quietly, never relinquishing his hold on her.

Bonnie's mind registered the sudden drain of magic, but her body quickly recovered until her limbs felt sound again. She nodded her head, assuring him silently with a reaffirming squeeze on his arm. They stared at each other intensely, holding on tightly to one another until the voices suddenly quieted down, signaling the presence of Lily's companions right outside of the door.

Bonnie and Kai spared one more glance—filled with longing, fear, and trust—between them before the door was ripped from the hinges, forcing Bonnie and Kai to step back from each other and focus on the inevitable fight for their lives…

 **A/N: OOOOH. Okay, I have another story—"Miss Nothing"— that I am working on, but I felt inspired by this idea and had to write. This will either be a two or three part story, since I am not looking to start writing another really long story lol They are hard to maintain. This was just a little break and another attempt to help my brain process how annoying the TVD writers are. We could have had great things…sigh. Anyway, I hope you all liked this and until next time! Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own _TVD_.**

Pounding footsteps against the snow that left a frantic trail of escape behind them, Bonnie and Kai ran through the woods using the last bit of strength each had left after a mentally and physically exhausting battle with Lily's undead posse. Bonnie herself still felt the reeling sensation of horror as she struggled to ward off the threats that were nearly impossible to defeat, because they also possessed the one thing Bonnie and Kai thought was in their favor—magic. Bonnie quickened her pace, suddenly feeling a surge of desperate energy to create more distance between the still alive threats as her mind lingered on the horrific reality of a vampire and witch hybrid. The very idea was crazy and made her want to cry, scream, and throw up all at the same time. She has spent the entirety of her young adult life warding off the strangest supernatural occurrences, and now it seems like there really is no end in sight for her. All she knew was that she and Kai needed to get out of this prison world and never let Lily's companions into the real world. Once again, Bonnie carried the burden of assuming the role of savior and protector. However, this time she wasn't alone. Turning to look at the equally scared boy next to her, Bonnie's feet began to slow down, her body finally telling her to stop running before the exhaustion truly killed her.

Sensing the change in speed, Kai slowed his own pace down, immediately reaching out to grab a hold of Bonnie in case she fell. Despite the bruises, cuts, and severe injuries adorning both their bodies, Kai's adrenaline rush helped him forget about the pain and focus on Bonnie's well being. He couldn't understand the pull of desperation he felt towards her safety, but all he wanted, aside from escaping with his life, was Bonnie's security. Heaving a couple of breaths, Kai gently tugged on her arm. "You okay?" He had stopped running by this time, stepping closer to Bonnie with a comforting hand on her back as she struggled to catch her breath.

Panting heavily, Bonnie's brown eyes, filled with potential tears, scanned Kai's figure as if she was assessing the damage on his body. She ignored his question, choosing instead to frantically plead with him. "We need to get the hell out of here." She stared at him, paralyzed with fear, and Kai returned the look.

"I know," he agreed immediately, turning his head to look around him in case any one had followed them. "We need the ascendant and to do the spell." A wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to tumble to the ground, bringing a worried Bonnie with him.

"Kai," Bonnie screamed, worry lacing her voice. Her own head was spinning, but she remained able to focus her concern on Kai. "Are you okay?"

Kai almost laughed at the irony of both of them asking each other that very question, but he could only muster a grimace. "Yeah," he stated through clenched teeth. "It took a lot of strength for me to fight those guys off…" his eyes shifted to Bonnie. "What about you? I had to take your magic…you must be feeling worse." To Bonnie's surprise, Kai lifted his hand to brush her cheek softly in an intimate gesture that implanted a serious case of butterflies in her stomach. It was fitting that they were practically in a parallel universe, because the shift in their dynamic was nothing short of bizarre. But despite everything, they were all they had right now, and Kai had helped fight with her. He wasn't the threat for once. Leaning into his touch, Bonnie closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath.

"How are we going to get out of here without our strength?"

"We'll manage," he tries to assure her. Bonnie eventually assented, nodding her head and choosing to trust him this time.

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The sound of clinking glasses filled the room as the Mystic Falls gang gathered together in a private room at the Mystic Grille to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Alaric and Jo. Feeling elated by the idea of Kai forever trapped in a prison world, Jo and Alaric felt the need to speed up the wedding process in celebration, and actually managed to set the wedding date to a few short days away, and everyone had happily agreed to the change.

Damon and Elena both smiled brightly at the engaged pair, while Stefan, Caroline, Tyler, Liv, and even Enzo joined in the celebrating. Raising his glass once again, Alaric grinned as a new cheer left his lips. "To health, happiness, and finally some normalcy around here!" Everyone cheered, clinking their glasses in solidarity with one another. The atmosphere emanated warmth, optimism, and peace—the complete opposite of the hell on earth Bonnie and Kai were experiencing in Lily Salvatore's prison world.

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Bonnie exhaled, her breaths were labored and unsteady as she voiced her fears. "I can't die here Kai. I worked so hard to regain my life. I can't die here," she repeated solemnly with a desperate edge to her voice.

Kai grimaced, his eyes shifting quickly to focus on her. "You won't," he interrupted aggressively. The idea of someone as pure hearted as her dying in this perverse universe filled him with so much anger. "You are here because of me, and I won't let that happen. You are going back home where you belong, okay?" His anger abated when her sad gaze met his, and she practically peered into his soul.

"Not without you," Bonnie retorted after a brief silence elapsed between them. "You are here because of me, too. If everyone just told me that you helped save me from committing suicide back in 1994 then this whole thing would've been avoided. I'd never would've left you here." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes at the confession. "You don't deserve to die here either. We both are going back." Bonnie broke eye contact with him, resting her gaze on the white snow that littered the forest around them.

Kai just stared at her, his mouth agape. Did Bonnie Bennett just admit that he's not worthless? She thinks he deserves a better death. A small sensation of warmth slowly crawled through his entire body, making him feel hopeful—an emotion he never had any familiarity with until now. The feeling inspired him to reach out, very timidly at first, to grab her hand and interlace their fingers together. Not resisting the action, Bonnie just turned her head toward Kai, her eyes still downturned but focused on their joined hands. They both sat in a comfortable silence with one another until Kai, after much deliberation in his own mind, decided to speak up. "I thought I was in hell here, but not with you here with me." The comment sounded like a lame pick up line, but Kai genuinely meant the words.

Despite the circumstances, a short burst of laughter escaped Bonnie's lips that she couldn't control. "Seriously? You're flirting right now?" She sounded partially relieved due to the slight break in tension, and she finally made eye contact with him again, a tender smile on her face as she teased him.

Kai smiled slightly. "I wasn't trying to flirt. I mean it. Plus, I think we are past the stage of flirting. We did make out." He grinned when Bonnie hit his shoulder playfully.

"Well it won't happen again," she scolded, trying to maintain a straight face. Kai took it as a challenge.

"Oh really?" He leaned forward, his nose slightly grazing against her cheek. "Never ever?"

Rolling her eyes and actively avoiding his gaze, Bonnie huffed. "Nope," she replied. "We need to focus on getting out of here."

Kai scooted closer to her, his breath falling against her neck as he spoke. "But I need to regain my strength. What better way than kissing? I mean you kiss a wound and it's supposed to make it better, right?"

"Kai," she warned, "We can't." She finally developed the courage to look into his eyes, which in hindsight was a bad idea, because Kai's genuinely disappointed expression broke her heart.

"You're right," he stated after recognizing her cautious expression. She still looked at him with dread in her eyes, and he was beginning to fear that she would never be able to look at him any other way. "How could you ever see me other than a monster? I hurt you."

She opened her mouth, ready to argue, but Kai shook his head before she could try. "No, it's true. I don't deserve you, but I'll be okay once you are out of here. You will get out, I promise." He attempted to smile, but it came off as half-hearted.

When Kai made an attempt to scoot away from her and provide some space between the two of them, Bonnie snapped out of her brief trance to react. Reaching forward, Bonnie wrapped one arm around Kai's neck, ignoring the look of shock on his face, and rested her hand on his forearm, forcing him to remain in his spot. She didn't talk at first, taking a few moments to compose herself. "I don't see you as a monster. Not anymore. You're an ally, okay?" She stared into his eyes desperately waiting for him to acknowledge her words. When he didn't, she continued to convince him. "I am so grateful that you helped me when I was still trapped in 1994. Despite all of the horrible things that happened between us and the circumstances in which we met, I genuinely am so grateful, Kai. My own friends consider me an after thought when it comes to my well-being. But you didn't hesitate to help me even when you had no obligation to offer a helping hand. Thank you," she whispered before enveloping him in a hug and resting her head against his shoulder.

Once the shock of her confession and open sign of affection toward him wore off, Kai relaxed into the embrace and allowed the sensation of warmth— that he seemed to only feel when around her—to surround him again.

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Back in Mystic Falls, Alaric and Jo's impromptu wedding rehearsal and celebration continued as everyone indulged in the feeling of relief due to Kai's imprisonment. Damon raised his glass, throwing a smirk in Elena's direction as he proposed a toast. "I just have to say that life is so beautiful, because Kai Parker is forever gone. To Alaric and Jo's marriage…may you have the best union completely void of any annoying pricks…as we all will." He grins when Elena kissed his cheek and adds, "To Alaric and Jo. You both deserve all the best. A second chance."

Alaric and Jo tipped their glasses in the vampire couple's direction before turning to one another and pecking each other on the lips.

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Bonnie sighed, adjusting her head so that her chin was propped against Kai's shoulder. "You helped give me a second chance at life. I promise to give you one, too." She lifted her head, leaning away slightly so that she could look into his eyes. "We will get out of here and make sure these horrible creatures never return with us."

"Me and you doing some good?" He smirked.

Bonnie smiled at him, simple nodding to legitimize his question. "And everyone back home will owe us. Big."

Kai's eyebrows rose, his mind churning with different ideas.

Bonnie could already sense his plotting, and immediately set out to shut him down. "Don't get any ideas, Malachai."

Kai scowled, "My full name? Really?" He pouted when she rolled her eyes. "Okay, whatever. We'll do it for the principle of it. Not to gain any upper hand on anyone." Kai practically spit the words out as if they were poisoned. Bonnie thought it was endearing.

"Thank you," she smiled when he pouted even more.

Leaning forward, Bonnie pressed her lips against Kai's cheek without another thought or second guess. Kai stopped pouting.

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Feeling buzzed from all of the positive energy, Caroline decided to jump in with a toast. "To everyone sitting at this table. We all deserve the love you two have. No regrets for anyone. Just live." Everyone cheered in unison.

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Once Bonnie pulled away, Kai made sure to keep his attention focused on her. "Thank you for giving me another chance." A small smile graced his features as a subtle blush flushed his cheeks. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

Bonnie nodded, her own lips turning up into a smile meant for him. "You okay to keep moving?"

"Yeah," he confirmed while shuffling onto his feet. He felt Bonnie's hand on his arm, trying to steady him as she returned to a standing position. Reaching out, Kai grabbed her hand in his own and sighed in relief when she didn't make any move to pull away from him.

"Let's go," she stated. Kai nodded, acknowledging the plan, and they began to limp their way through the snow.

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In contrast to the cheery mood, Matt—still feeling uncomfortable around his dominantly vampire friends—searched the room with his distrusting gaze and noticed the blatant absence of one of his closest friends. No one has mentioned it yet, so he decided to take the initiative even if his intentions stemmed from resentful feelings. Raising his beer, Matt's shouted over the joyful chatter, prompting everyone to turn their attention to him. "To Bonnie Bennett who isn't here. I owe my life to her. Everyone in this room does. Where is she?" He directed his gaze onto Damon who fell gravely quiet at the mention of Bonnie's name. When Damon didn't answer, Matt left.

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"What do you think everyone is doing back in Mystic Falls?"

Bonnie, temporarily startled by the sudden disruption of their shared but peaceful silence, turned her head to look at him, her eyes questioning. "Probably dealing with another supernatural cause of drama," she answered nonchalantly as if she were talking about the weather. Her cool tone made Kai's lips turn upward into a smirk.

Not being able to resist, Kai quipped, "So they are probably epically failing since you aren't there to fix things." He now tilted his head in her direction, finally making eye contact with her. A hint of amusement graced both of their faces, and Bonnie allowed herself to relax and smile at Kai's jokingly truthful observation.

"Maybe," she admitted as she trudged through the snow. "They could also be living a normal life. Happy." Sadness suddenly overwhelmed her at the thought of her friends enjoying their lives without her. She might as well be stuck in 1994 again or the state of purgatory she was trapped in after saving Jeremy's life. All the same, their lives would continue without her. Feeling her throat close up and the sting of tears in the corner of her eyes, Bonnie snapped her head back to the front, so her line of vision solely included the seemingly never ending path in front of them.

Oblivious to her sudden change in mood, Kai followed her lead and directed his attention to the path. "My sister probably moved her wedding date sooner to celebrate my permanent exile to another form of punishment." His eyes scanned the area as an unexpected feeling of sorrow hit him at the realization that his sister would be relieved to have him out of her life.

Bonnie detected Kai's melancholy, feeling a twist of pity for him settle in her stomach. "Probably not...I mean wedding planning takes a long time. Most couples don't rush it," she tried to offer the words of solace as indifferently as possible in order not to show just how much she might care.

Kai attempted to smile but it fell flat, "I wouldn't know."

"Me neither," she responded. "But I am a girl, trust me on this. Most girls take time to plan their weddings."

"I wouldn't blame her though," he mumbled into the crisp, night air after silence settled between them again.

"For what?" Bonnie asked, setting her brown eyes on his hunched form.

"For celebrating the fact that I'm gone," he confessed with a shrug of his shoulders. His jaw tightened and he fell quiet again, no longer finding the right words to express how he was feeling.

Bonnie understood, shuffling closer to him and wrapping her arm around his upper bicep as a sign of solidarity. The gesture cheered up Kai. They had started their journey through the forest holding hands, but somewhere along the way they separated, and not wanting to push Bonnie or ruin the progress between them, Kai kept his distance and resisted the urge to initiate contact again. But, to his surprise she was the one to do it first, and the action alleviated his distress. It reminded him that he wasn't alone. Bonnie was here with him.

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"Bonnie's not here." Caroline's words sounded strangled as if she needed to force herself to speak, to repeat Matt's words. Her eyes shifted around the room, landing on a quiet Jo who peered around the room anxiously.

"We could postpone everything," Jo offered weakly. Alaric grudgingly nodded, trying to give his fiancée whatever she wanted even if he wasn't happy about delaying his own happiness.

Oddly, the one person to immediately protest Jo's suggestion was the one person who witnessed Bonnie at her worst and had a cause for concern.

"No," Damon interrupted while slamming his glass on the table, causing it to shake the glasses perched on top of it. "Not necessary. The witch is fine. I just talked to her. Donovan is just being a little bitch as usual. He's always complaining about something." Damon met the glare of his girlfriend, immediately defending his words. "It's true. We're supposed to be celebrating and Matt is being a downer. Bonnie is fine. Trust me."

Caroline practically spit out her drink. "Trust you? That's hilarious." Staring him down, Caroline gripped the edge of her mug in an effort to maintain self-control. "Weren't you the last person to talk to her? Where is she? She hasn't been answering my texts." Her eyes dropped, and she was suddenly unable to look anyone in the eye, "I haven't spoken to her at all, since your little trip."

"Exactly," Damon stated, still defending himself. "I went to go see how she was after everything. Where were you, Caroline?"

She lifted her head quickly, her eyes blazing with fury. "Don't accuse me of being a bad friend."

Elena inserted herself in the conversation before Damon could respond. "He's not accusing you of being a bad friend, Caroline." Elena watched as Caroline rolled her eyes, now directing her anger towards Elena.

"Of course you need to defend him," she mumbled darkly. She could care less about Damon's bruised ego. All she could focus on was Bonnie.

"You two bickering won't achieve anything." Elena glanced at Jo and Alaric, worry etching her features. "Damon assured us that Bonnie is okay. She might just need some space and time to rest. She pulled off something major a couple of days ago..." Everyone in the room visibly tensed, knowing that Elena was talking about the rescue mission to save Damon's mother and Kai's final defeat. "She would not want anything to stall, and I know she will be at the ceremony." She smiled gently at the engaged couple, "You two should go forward with your plans."

Jo tentatively glanced at Alaric who was already watching her with pure adoration. "Okay," Jo whispered before Alaric's lips found hers. Everyone at the table couldn't resist the smiles that appeared on their faces as they watched the happy pair.

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Bonnie frowned, her lips down turned, as her eyes scanned the night sky that was surprisingly dull with no sign of the comforting presence of the moon. "No moon," she spoke to herself. Kai barely heard her, his own attention being taken by the path in front of them, which never seemed to end. Worry crept into his mind, making him feel vulnerable. He hated that.

Bonnie wracked her brain for possible spells that she and Kai could use to escape this prison world, but none of them seemed powerful enough. Glancing up at Kai, she reminded herself that wasn't alone. "Kai?" She spoke his name tentatively, feeling unsure of how to voice her insecurities and fears.

Hearing his name leave her lips spurred a quick reaction from him, and he stopped walking, forcing Bonnie to pause too.

Licking her lips, Bonnie sighed deeply. "How do we get out of here? There is no moon." Her eyes grazed the sky briefly before meeting his intense, diligent gaze. "What spell do we use?"

Kai released a shaky breath of his own, suddenly afraid of voicing his true opinion. Unbeknownst to Bonnie, Kai had thought of an idea of how they could escape, but it came with a huge risk that he wasn't sure Bonnie would be willing to take.

Bonnie noticed the nervous twitch of his mouth, and she felt compelled to ask him to share his thoughts. "Kai, c'mon...if you know a way."

"Oh I know a way," he responded grimly, "But you won't like it."

"What?" She inquired, preparing herself for the worst-case scenario.

Kai took a moment to savor looking into her eyes in case she might not want to look at him after this conversation. "Dark magic," he replied. He resisted the urge to wince when Bonnie let go of his arm to take a step backwards.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was lost. Dark magic? Kai wouldn't be able to control himself.

When Bonnie didn't speak, Kai interjected. "I know you have it, Bonnie. I felt it," he murmured the last part, causing Bonnie's stomach to flutter as his gaze intensified. He made no movement to step closer to her, and Bonnie felt grateful for his sudden recognition of boundaries.

Trying to calm her erratic breathing, she inhaled deeply. "I did," she confessed. The memory of Professor Shane's sinister influence and ulterior motives still carried enough power to send shooting pangs of chills down her spine. Bonnie never lost the trace of dark magic she learned under his wing, and the power Qetsiyah gifted her as the anchor solidified the permanent presence of that power within her. But Kai couldn't know that—he might be entranced by her past in dark magic. She didn't want to risk losing this subdued version of Kai. She would feel less guilty saving this version of him than the rage induced maniac that she first met in 1994.

Not wanting to pry into her uncomfortable past, Kai skipped to the point. "You can give just a little to me as a test and see how I handle it. If I'm out of control you can stop me. You are powerful."

Bonnie watched him, her eyes weary, as she deliberated over the idea in her head. Despite the extreme risk of Kai losing his mind over the power, she desperately wanted to return home. Slowly extending her hand, Bonnie stood up straight, almost preparing herself for a battle, and waited for Kai to accept the gesture. When he did, his eyes never wavered from her own until she channeled the power to him, sending a jolt through his body and forcing Kai to slam his eyes shut while his body accepts the forceful insurgence of powerful magic flowing through his veins.

After a long moment, Kai's eyes popped open as he exhaled deeply. Cautiously, Bonnie stared at him, ready for any change in his mood that would indicate danger. "Kai?"

He met her worried gaze, nodding softly towards her. Taking a step forward, he leaned one arm against a tree Bonnie had been standing in front of and slipped one arm around her waist where he gripped the skin tightly. Kai leaned forward until his forehead rested against Bonnie's, causing her breath to hitch, but her eyes still remained open and alert—prepared for a possible threat. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as his grip on her tightened. "I'm good," he assured her. A smirk appeared, displaying his dimples. "How do you not tap into that magic more? It's amazing."

Narrowing her eyes at him, Bonnie retorted. "Enjoy it while it lasts, because that's the last time you'll get it from me." She stepped out of his grasp. Kai opened his eyes, seeing Bonnie's scowl, but still following her.

"What?" He asked. The smirk still hasn't left his face.

Bonnie looked him square in the eye, not backing down. "Because this magic can consume you and turn you back into the old Kai. The one I hope isn't here anymore." She crossed her arms, staring at him with guarded eyes. She couldn't trust him with that type of power, and Kai knew that. Despite Kai understanding her doubts, the idea of her so easily dismissing him like she was prepared for him to disappoint, to be an enemy, to be a threat…it made him boil inside.

His smirk disappeared, replaced by a hardened expression. The dark magic still coursed through his veins, overpowering him. "This is me. That's why you stabbed me and left me for dead, right? Because I'm evil. You'd rather die from cholera than spending one more minute with me, remember?" He inquired harshly, practically spitting out the words as if they were laced with poison while he took menacing steps toward her, once again backing her into a tree. Bonnie held her ground, quickly fighting the urge to use her magic against him and try to talk to him rationally.

"Kai," she surprised herself by her desperate tone. "Please don't do this. We're on the same side."

"Bonster," he smiled despite the rough edge to his voice. "Don't you want to take advantage of that power within you? You and me. We'd be unstoppable," he raised his arms, trying to convince her. But her face never changed—she remained serious, hesitant, and almost terrified.

"No, Kai. I don't want that kind of power. I need you to be the guy who was desperate to seek my forgiveness. The one who actually stopped to feel remorse for all that he's done. With this type of magic, I'll lose him. Why would I take that risk?"

Kai placed both arms against the tree, trapping her against it and was unfazed when she flinched. He stopped when he was at a comfortable distance from her, leaned forward, and whispered, "To get the hell out of here."

Her eyes grazed the ground, almost in defeat. There wasn't another way to get out of here if they didn't tap into the most powerful magic she could muster. Unfortunately, it was the one she vowed to never use again. Quickly glancing up, she met his gaze, suddenly feeling angry at the idea of him turning against her. She just couldn't take the risk. Unless…Bonnie bit her lip as she surveyed Kai's face. Despite being high off the dark magic he siphoned from her, he still seemed to be controlling himself with her. Suddenly, the vivid memory of the night at the rave—when a desperate, apologetic Kai sought her out for forgiveness—assaulted her mind, making her remember the interaction. _'He wanted to see you,' Damon pleaded with her that night._ _'Bon?' Kai asked, timidly and desperately all at the same time, 'Did you hear me? I'm sorry.'_ Bonnie hadn't…no…couldn't listen to any form of an apology from him. His torment, abandonment, and manipulations distorted her view of him, and it all led to another panic attack that forced her quick escape from the situation that night. She felt so betrayed, by Damon mostly, but also incredibly uncomfortable due to Kai's change in personality. When she mustered the courage to look into his eyes that night—a quick, nervous glance—she saw sadness, regret, and care behind his distressed expression. Another memory flashed through her mind—their meeting at the restaurant when she grudgingly sought his help with the spell that would help Damon find his mother— reminding her of a sweet, nervous Kai who once again stared at her in timid, adoration. _'I'll go if you go,' he told her._ The comment was oddly endearing as he gazed at her with admiration and hope.

It wasn't until now, this moment with him in the forest reliving some of those memories of a post 1994 Kai, that Bonnie suddenly realized that maybe she was Kai's weakness. He wanted her approval. Her companionship. Her trust. Maybe she could be the one in control after all.

Taking a deep breath, she maintained steady eye contact, never blinking or shying away from his intense stare. "If we do this, and I share more of it with you to do the spell," she stated with confidence that desperately tried to hide the fear seeping from her voice, "I need you to promise me you'll never ask me to give it to you again."

Kai stared her down, finally grabbing the edge of her chin. "What do I get in return?"

Bonnie's eyes focused on his lips briefly before meeting his, "Me," she stated simply.

Momentarily stupefied by her answer, Kai opened and closed his mouth several times before finding his voice again, "How?" His eyes held pure, unfiltered confusion, and for the first time since he siphoned some dark magic from her, Bonnie detected the vulnerable, tolerable, and even considerate Kai she had gotten to know briefly. The recognition sent a surge of warmth all over her body, making her dangerously close to closing the gap between them and kissing the boy she really wanted to see before he disappeared again. "You know how," she offered cryptically, but fought off a smile when Kai's eyes widened at what she was insinuating. Gulping heavily, he could only nod mechanically, like he was hypnotized by her suggestion. The effects of the magic began to wear off and his head felt clear again.

"Promise?" She asked, her stomach twisting in nervous euphoria that her assumption could be correct—Kai would do anything as long as she returned his affection.

Kai didn't answer verbally, instead reassuring Bonnie of his promise with his lips against hers. Bonnie hummed softly as she returned the after a brief moment of hesitation, her mouth opening to trace his lips with her tongue. Kai obliged, deepening the kiss as their mouths mingled together. Bonnie stifled a moan when she felt Kai grab onto her inner thigh, squeezing it once before lifting her up in the air. Their kisses slowed down until they both stared at each other while panting heavily.

"Just to be clear," Kai spoke, his voice husky from the kiss, "This wouldn't be a one time thing right?" He watched her, worried about her denial.

Bonnie, still struggling to regain her breath, simply tilted her head so that she could press her lips against his jaw, allowing them to linger there as Kai sighed in relief. "No," she mumbled against his skin. She yelped when Kai adjusted her weight, locking his arms more firmly around her legs to hold her.

"Good," he murmured before pressing his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. As the kiss continued, Bonnie's mind raced with various thoughts ranging from _'Are you crazy? Do you know what you are doing?' 'Will this work?'_ But when Kai deepened the kiss again, her thoughts became jumbled, and she could only concentrate on the feeling of his lips pressed against her own.

They both melted into the kiss, allowing it to drag out for as long as possible before breaking away.

Bonnie tried to catch her breath, her eyes closing briefly when she felt Kai's lips against her neck and his mumbled apology against her skin. "I'm sorry," he admitted quietly. "For earlier."

Nodding along to his apology, Bonnie ran her hand down his cheek as her heart fluttered with genuine relief and her cheeks blushed at the realization that she was right—she really meant something to him. The relief that consumed her due to his genuine apology almost convinced her that tapping into dark magic was a possibility, but she still felt resistant. How would she know Kai wouldn't lose his mind after experiencing the addictive qualities of dark magic? She almost lost the battle herself. "Please keep your promise," she mumbled more to herself than to Kai, but he heard it.

He gripped her tighter, embracing her once more before reluctantly placing her down on the ground, but never releasing her. "Let's get out of here."

Her eyes fluttered closed when he kissed her forehead, sending chills down her spine. She felt herself drawn to him, and she unconsciously extended her arm out to cling to him when he began to back away from her. Her eyes snapped open, suddenly aware of her own body's natural instinct to be near him, sending a quick surge of panic through her. Maybe the feeling was mutual between them. When Kai pulled her against him, pressing his lips against her cheek before bearing down on her lips in a bruising kiss, Bonnie had her proof—her knees weakened, her head spun, and she felt weightless. The feelings were most definitely mutual. He broke the kiss, stroking her cheek affectionately as he framed her face in his hands. "We'll need to wait at least another night for the a sign of the moon and then we can do the spell. I promise, I'll control myself." She detected the desperation in his voice. He was clearly pleading with her to trust that he won't lose control. She unconsciously leaned against him, squeezing his arms in acknowledgement, feeling comforted by his emotional attachment to her, even if she didn't completely understand why or how it happened. For whatever reason, she mattered to him, and this would be the only thing that would work in her favor if they used the dangerously powerful type of magic to get them out of this prison world.

"Okay," she agreed. "We'll get out of here."

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After Alaric and Jo made the decision to resume their quick wedding plans, the celebration reached it's finishing point. "Let's get out here," announced Damon as he squeezed Elena's leg before getting up. As everyone joined his lead, exchanging goodbyes, his thoughts traveled to Bonnie, wondering if she was okay. He didn't want to believe the gut feeling that told him she would do something reckless like go back to the prison world out of guilt for leaving Kai there, but he just forced the thoughts out of his mind, practically yelling at himself for being ridiculous. She wouldn't do that nor could she by herself. He did have to beg her to ask for Kai's help the first time. He gulped as the image of her lost gaze staring into the fire consumed his memory, but he quickly snapped out of his deep thoughts when Elena kissed his cheek.

"You okay?" she whispered.

Damon met her worried eyes and nodded his head, leading her out of the room.

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Bonnie spaced out briefly, only returning to reality when Kai tightened his grip on her face. "Hey," he muttered, "You okay?"

Releasing a shaky breath, Bonnie could only manage a small smile that looked more like a grimace. "I'm trying to be." Her eyes surveyed the surroundings suspiciously, "Let's move more and then we'll settle somewhere to build a fire. It's going to be a long night." She finally stepped away from him, starting to move forward. After a couple of steps, she felt Kai's arm loop around her waist while he walked beside her. Every once in a while, she felt his hand slip under her waist length coat to brush against the patch of skin exposed by the end of her sweater. At the contact, her thoughts drifted back to her earlier proposition—she did tell him he would have _her_ if he agreed to be good about staying in control. Perhaps, Kai interpreted that to be more physical than she originally meant. The idea of her and Kai being intimate stole her breath away, sending a chill through her body that ended as dull ache. He kept stroking her skin, oblivious to the effect it was having on her, and she felt herself stopping in her tracks suddenly. The spell could have so many different consequences, which made her wonder if she'll never get the chance to know what it's like to be with Kai. They were alone here. Consequences didn't seem to exist if they were so separate from the real world. Maybe…

Running her hands through her hair, Bonnie tried to control her beating heart and distract herself from her taboo thoughts. "We can stop here," she stated shakily before clearing her throat. Quickly meeting Kai's eyes, she pointed to some fallen branches. We can build a fire here." She bent down to gather the wood, not glancing at Kai who joined her. Once they arranged everything, Bonnie grabbed a stray stick, breaking it in half and started to rub both pieces together in a futile effort to start a fire. Kai watched her with a mix of confusion and amusement before muttering something in Latin under his breath, engulfing the firewood into flames.

Bonnie looked up in surprise, missing Kai's satisfied smirk, and felt his arms wrap around her, Before she could resist, Kai had pulled her onto his lap, placing his chin on her shoulder and nuzzling his nose against her neck. "Fire's built," he murmured against her skin, slipping his hand under coat again and this time trailing his hand lower until it grazed the spot under the opening of her jeans. Bonnie jumped in surprise, a protest immediately leaving her lips, "Kai," she whispered while grabbing his hand.

She felt his hand leave her skin quickly, making her feeling cold. "I'm sorry," he sputtered nervously. "I wasn't thinking."

Bonnie closed her eyes, listening to his apologies with guilt ridden thoughts of her own. She had the same idea as him before. Feeling bold, she twisted around so that both of her legs fell on either side of his hips, straddling him. She noticed his eyes widen and resisted the urge to laugh at his sudden nervous reaction. "It's okay," she soothed. Looking into his eyes, she took a deep breath. "What if we don't make it back?" She stared into his eyes longingly, licking her lips as she watched his dazed expression.

"We will," Kai reassured her. He frowned when she rubbed a thumb across his lips.

"But if we don't," her voice drops. Her fingers move to the buttons of her coat, undoing them one by one. Kai's eyes widened when he began to register exactly what Bonnie was suggesting. His gaze darkened when she lost her coat, beginning to unbutton the sweater underneath. He reached forward to stop her movements, pulling her even closer to him.

"Bon," he whispered, "What? We don't have to—" he paused when she placed a small kiss on the tip of his nose.

"I know," she replied shakily. "I just want to feel close. We're here alone away from everyone…" she trailed off, releasing a deep breath as the words spilled from her lips.

Kai ran a hand through her hair, trailing his other hand against her back. "Where no one can interrupt us," he continued quietly. He saw Bonnie's chest heave gently at his words, and he leaned forward to peck her lips gently. Bonnie closed her eyes at the contact, sighing loudly. She had no idea what possessed her to make such a bold move, but the urge to be as close as possible to him overwhelmed her. She didn't want to think about right or wrong. She just wanted him. When she opened her eyes, she noticed he had taken off his own coat and felt his hands grip her thighs so that he could gently flip them over until she was lying on his open coat. Before she could take another breath, his lips were on hers, kissing her fiercely, and their fingers interlaced together. Bringing her arms over her head, Kai pressed himself against her, inciting a small moan from Bonnie. He smirked at the reaction, deepening the kiss before pulling away to look into her eyes.

"Are you sure?," he asked as his eyes dodged back and forth between hers.

Bonnie exhaled slowly, her heart racing. Her mind wasn't screaming at her to stop. She didn't want to. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Bonnie nodded her head, whispering "yes" before Kai's lips crashed against hers in a feverish kiss. The crackling fire was the only sound that complimented the hushed whispers and sweet words exchanged between Bonnie and Kai that night.

 **A/N: I know it has been so long. I'm sorry! I have one more chapter and an epilogue planned for this story. I took my time writing this chapter though and made it extra long, so I hope that makes up for the wait! Thank you to all who have left reviews and are reading! I appreciate them all and all of you who are reading! :)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: No ownership of** _ **TVD**_. **With the way the show is going, I'm totally okay with that -_-**

Before Kai even opened his eyes, he could register a change in his surroundings. Instead of a bitter, cold sensation that seeped into his bones, a comforting warmth enveloped him, and the darkness that his vision grew accustomed to in the prison world was interrupted by a steady stream of bright light, which pulled him out of his tense unconscious state. His eyes reacted first—opening suddenly and darting around his immediate surroundings, trying to figure out where he was. Next, he lifted his arms and extended them to release the thick, woolen coat that once helped keep him warm in the endless winter, but now felt stifling in the heat. After he unbuttoned it, he moved to a sitting position, shook the coat off, and rolled up the sleeves to his sweater. His eyes were immediately drawn to the many cuts and patches of dried blood that adorned his arm, and the sight actually brought him relief. It meant that he didn't dream everything. The spell must have worked.

His heart spiked in his chest, forcing his attention away from himself and instead, concerned over Bonnie's whereabouts. He spotted her immediately, lying on her side, eyes still closed and her jaw clenched. He noticed a trail of dried blood descending from her nose—proof of her intense effort in making the spell work. He and Bonnie took an extra day to prepare for the spell, which ultimately took hours of chanting, intense concentration, and pain before it succeeded. Reaching out, Kai traced her jaw line carefully while searching for a sign of life from her. The steady rise and fall of her chest reassured him, and he finally took a deep breath.

He would've been content sitting there and waiting for Bonnie to wake up, but the faint sounds of distant conversation and music distracted him. He tucked a piece of Bonnie's hair behind her ear and shot her a concerned look before turning away from her and towards the noise. He only had to take a few cautious steps before the grassy terrain ended abruptly, proving that he and Bonnie were on a hill. However, the spot they occupied was completely still, while the land below was filled with excited chatter, upbeat music, and adorned by sparkling lights on all of the trees. Falling to his knees, Kai could only openly gape at the scene before him as he searched every part before landing on a nicely dressed couple—the man wearing a tailored suit and the woman wearing a flowing, white dress. _'They are probably celebrating my permanent exile by moving their wedding date up.'_ His past words ringing through his head, causing a painful echo that taunted him. He immediately recognized the silhouette of his sister. This was her wedding reception.

The realization hit him sharply, sending a torrent of emotions through him—bitterness, desolation, and anger—that practically made his head spin. The remnants of the dangerous magic he and Bonnie used to escape suddenly awakened within him, driving his thoughts to the type of damage he could cause. Closing his eyes, a range of different scenarios—all bloody—flittered through his mind. Jo and Alaric lying in a pool of their own blood, Damon Salvatore decapitated, and all of the guests littering the floor with their lifeless bodies. The disturbing imagery only instilled a sense of euphoria and excitement within him. He had the power to destroy this entire occasion with just one wave of his hand.

While Kai delved deeper into dangerous territory, Bonnie began to open her eyes. Despite feeling like they were filled with lead, her eyes blinked slowly, observing the drastically different scenery. Sitting up, her eyes widened at the realization that she was no longer trapped in 1903. She made it out. A smile reached her tired face, but it didn't last long. Looking around her and seeing no Kai instilled a sense of frantic panic within her. The idea of him staying behind in the prison world made her heart lurch uncomfortably. For better or worse, she felt emotionally attached to him, and the idea of losing that connection scared her. She had been lonely for too long. Bringing a shaky hand to unbutton her coat, she quickly removed it, while settling onto her knees and searching all around for Kai. When she finally spotted him, she sighed in relief and immediately began to move towards him, completely unaware of his increasingly violent mood.

"Kai," she spoke breathlessly, lightly touching his shoulder for support. She never noticed the party occurring underneath them; instead, she only focused on her relief that they both made it out alive.

Her voice and touch broke through his sadistic thoughts and completely distracted him from his anger. "Bon," he whispered in return. He immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her up into his lap and wrapping his other arm around her back into a snug embrace.

Bonnie instantly returned the hug, placing her cheek against his before releasing a long drawn out sigh. "We did it," she whispered. She inched away briefly so that she could make eye contact with him. Before she could say anything else, Kai kissed her passionately, losing himself in the feeling of her lips against his. Bonnie responded to the kiss by wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him briefly before breaking the kiss. She nuzzled her nose against his chin before turning around, suddenly aware of the noise of the celebration. Her mouth opened, completely taken aback by the sight of her friends dressed in their best formal attire. She scooted off Kai's lap, just enough so that she was sitting on the ground but left her legs draped over his, and craned her neck forward as she tried to spot all of the familiar faces.

"I guess they all felt the need to celebrate while we were gone." Bonnie immediately sensed the intense bitterness lacing Kai's words, and despite her own shock at seeing her friends so carefree even when she had been clearly missing, she couldn't resist defending the scene before her.

"Your sister must have had this planned for a while," she stated in a weak attempt to calm Kai down, but she knew him well enough to not be surprised by the palpable wrath radiating from him.

Laughing mirthlessly, Kai quipped "Sure and I'm a fucking moral upstanding citizen that everyone down there trusts." He laughs again, but this time the sound stabbed Bonnie's heart like a knife. "Forget me. They hate me. But they are having party while you have been missing. Why didn't the _Mystic Falls gang_ wait until they knew what happened to you? I know you didn't tell them about your last minute plan to rescue me from 1903 out of guilt?" He finally tears his attention away from the party, settling his eyes on Bonnie. She mirrored his actions, almost jumping back when saw his unmistakably feral and threatening expression.

She never had the chance to speak before Kai pleaded with her. "Please let me kill them?" His request astounded her, and even more so, his calm, almost excited energy that laced his even tone. "I can kill every single fucking one, Bon Bon. Not just for me but for you. Don't you want revenge? They treat you like nothing even though they owe their lives to you. Hell..." He laughs briefly, "I owe you mine and did nothing to deserve it." He tightens his grip on her waist and pulls her into a searing kiss that blindsides Bonnie completely, and pulled away before could she even form a protest, "Let me do it." He whispered this last request against her lips with desperation.

Bonnie stared at him, dumbfounded by the unsettling madness Kai is displaying, and she could only focus on the very real reality of Kai's unstable mind, especially mixed with expression.

"What did you promise me?" Her inquiry was gentle.

Something shifted in Kai at the reminder, and he visibly deflated. Clenching his jaw, he broke eye contact with her and turned his head away to stare at some random point in the far off distance. He never answered her and made no move to initiate contact again.

Releasing a shaky sigh, Bonnie tentatively reached out to lightly trace her finger down his cheek. She repeated the question with confidence despite the trembling fear that consumed her due to threat of Kai's potential violence. "What did you promise, Malachai?"

The sweet, gentle way she used his name surprised Kai, and he couldn't resist looking at her again. Bonnie felt relief upon noticing that his angry gaze had weakened considerably, instead replaced with a look of vulnerability. He frowned, lips almost trembling with sadness as he finally answered, "To not hurt anyone."

Nodding encouragingly, Bonnie rested her hand against his cheek, "Keep your promise. Not for me but for yourself, okay? Show them you aren't a threat—the enemy. Please."

"But I am," he whined. "It's what they expect."

"So prove them wrong, Kai. The best revenge would be to show them that you can reform. You can redeem yourself." She grabbed his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Listen, my friends—the Mystic Falls gang or whatever— they have killed and ruined tons of innocent lives. I..." Bonnie's voice cracked and tears formed in her eyes, forcing her to pause, "I've killed and hurt innocent people, too. None of us can truly say that you are the true definition of evil without being the biggest hypocrites in the universe. We've all been the enemy at one point." She released him and leaned back, her eyes roving the party. "It's all an illusion. You don't have to prove anything but be the person I think you can be." She looks at him, desperately trying to convince him of her words. "Kai, I see it. If I didn't I wouldn't have gone back. I wouldn't be here with you right now just watching the party. I would be down there, too."

Her tone, laced with sadness and longing, tugged at Kai's heart. He placed a hand on Bonnie's knee, watching her with pure adoration in his eyes. "Having your acceptance is all I ever wanted since I met you. Even when I was so distracted from my hell bent plan on escaping my prison, I always admired you. I know that sounds twisted considering everything, but it's true."

Tentatively nodding, Bonnie just offered him a weak smile, not really willing to indulge in those memories of being trapped in Kai's prison world. Sometimes, she wondered if she was being crazy for trusting Kai like this, admitting that she believed in him, and openly showing her feelings for him. However, when he looks at her with such a sad but hopeful expression—the same one he used when they met at the diner to briefly discuss the plan to rescue Damon's mother—her heart melted and she couldn't resist.

"So you'll keep your promise?" The request created a brief sensation of tension between them until Kai hesitatingly agreed with a simple nod, his eyes once again traveling to the joyful party happening in the near distance.

Bonnie noted the way he watched the party; his anger abated but his desolation just replaced it, making him look truly defeated. Bonnie searched his face, noticing the dark circles under his eyes, the growing stubble on his chin, and the dim expression in his eyes. Pulling herself up, Bonnie propped an elbow on her thigh and leaned her head against Kai's shoulder.

"Maybe one day you'll have that. A marriage, family, happiness. Maybe we both will," Bonnie muttered the words longingly.

Kai snapped his head in her direction, his eyes narrowing. "Separately?"

To Bonnie, the question seemed almost ridiculous, because it actually involved the image of her and Kai married with a family. The idea was so healthy and normal that his expectation seemed bizarre. Her first reaction was to roll her eyes, but she forced herself to meet his gaze and ponder his borderline angry reaction. Kai didn't want to imagine that kind of foreign existence with anyone but her. Surprised by the thought, Bonnie felt any annoyance and distrust fade away. She tilted her face towards his, kissing him lightly on the chin before mumbling, "I didn't say that." She quickly redirected her attention to the reception in an effort to avoid Kai's intense gaze. Despite her cool demeanor, her heart pounded violently against her chest.

"You can go over there," Kai suggested so softly that Bonnie barely registered his words. "See your friends." He voice dropped as he finished, revealing his sadness. "I'll wait over here." He knew that attempting to crash his sister's wedding would go horribly wrong. Someone would try to kill him.

Bonnie considered the idea, her heart skipping at the idea of seeing her friends. She noticed their happy grins, relaxed stances, and generally carefree attitudes as they celebrated the occasion, and she suddenly became very aware of her bloody, bruised appearance. It no longer felt like she fit in anymore, anyway. "No," she protested after exhaling deeply. "They'll question my appearance and ultimately figure out I helped you escape. Unnecessary drama." Exhaustion overwhelmed her at the thought of arguing with Damon for the billionth time.

Frowning, Kai surveyed the party. "Okay," he began with a skeptical tone, "But you'll have to return home eventually right?"

"No," she replied with an air of finality, "I don't." She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "If I go there then they'll figure out what happened. Lily will get ideas that I can release her psychotic group of friends. Once again my powers will be used for someone else's benefit."

Kai silently acknowledged her fears, his jaw clenching with frustration. "Let's just kill her," he suggested nonchalantly. He shrugged his shoulders when Bonnie looked at him skeptically.

"That's not going to divert any attention away from you." Turning her head again, Bonnie watched as Enzo approached Lily with a sly smile, holding his hand out in invitation, and Lily surprisingly accepting it with a tiny smile of her own. "Just let her go," Bonnie stated after the two walked to the dance floor.

"And you'll just leave?" He questioned, watching her intently.

"We'll just leave," she answered. She bit her lip, wincing with embarrassment at the suggestion.

A moment of silence passed before Kai broke out into a grin, his dimples displayed proudly. He squeezed Bonnie's hip until she made eye contact with him, her eyes widening slightly at the bright smile on his face. She couldn't resist returning the smile wholeheartedly. "What?" She asked shyly.

"I'll go if you go," he repeated the words from the diner. Her heart fluttered at his words and the genuine happiness in his eyes. How did they get here from where they started? Dismissing the question, Bonnie grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled herself up to reach his lips. She kissed him gently.

Kai kissed her back immediately, slowly lowering them down until he was lying on his side, hovering over her. The kisses grew more intense, leading him to trace the hem of her sweater before slipping his fingers underneath the fabric to stroke her stomach.

Bonnie attempted to mumble his name during the kiss, but it ended up sounding incoherent. Kai understood all the same and removed his hand from under her sweater; instead grabbing Bonnie's free hand and interlacing their fingers together. He pushed himself against her despite breaking the kiss. "What?"

Bonnie shot him a knowing look, her lips swollen from the kiss. "We can't here," she scolded. Kai detected a teasing tone to her voice that ignited a spark in his heart.

Kissing her softly on the cheek, he moved to her ear and whispered, "Why not?" His hand slipped under her sweater again, teasing Bonnie with the circles being traced on her lower abdomen.

Bonnie resisted the urge to sigh and spoke clearly, "Because we need to decide on a place to go. You can pick."

This captured Kai's interest and he pulled away, looking into her eyes eagerly. "You'd trust me?"

Bonnie nodded, "Why not?" The rhetorical question incited a short bark of laughter from Kai. "The only condition is that the city has colleges nearby. I want to continue school, just not at Whitmore."

"My smart cookie," Kai cooed playfully. "Of course Bon Bon." Her smile widened at the nickname, and she welcomed Kai's lips against her own. After a minute of kissing, Kai pulled away with a content sigh. "You sure?" He stared at her, suddenly scared about the possibility of her rejection or a change in heart.

"Yes," she responded and tugged at his collar, pulling him back down to kiss her again—the party occurring below them forgotten.

 **A/N: I am sorry to all of you who have been waiting so long for an update. I have been very busy, so it's difficult to keep up with my stories. That being said—I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and thanks to all those BonKai fans who still feel the love even though the ship is lying somewhere at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean right now due to the writers and show runners being idiots. At least we'll always have fanfiction. Happy reading! This story will have an epilogue, which I already started writing; however, I'll need some time to finish it and do the ending justice. I'm excited about it though, and I hope you all will like it! Until next time :D**


	4. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **TVD.**_

"This city is amazing!" Exclaimed Caroline as she dragged Stefan behind her. Damon and Elena trailed nearby, admiring the city.

Caroline smiled when she saw the pier, "Look how beautiful that is! So romantic," she cooed once she spotted a young couple standing at the end of the pier. A petite woman with curly brown hair that grazed her shoulders was clutching the hand of a taller man beside her. They each carried a small child against their side. Caroline smiled at the adorable sight before slapping Stefan on the chest, "Why haven't we been here before?"

Damon rolled his eyes at the blonde, "We're here now, Blondie. Shut up," he led Elena away from the now glaring Caroline, and he approached the end of the pier. When he got closer to the couple, they turned around to survey the source of the footsteps, but they froze in place.

Damon heard Elena gasp and Caroline stutter…"Oh my god," she announced. Bonnie Bennett, now eight years older, stood before them as beautiful as ever—along with Kai who had matured as well, becoming even more handsome. They looked like the perfect couple with an adorable toddler on each hip, each child resembling both parents in an uncanny way.

Once the shock wore off, Bonnie spoke. "What are you all doing here?"

Before anyone could answer, a teenager with a head of messy, blonde hair and bright blue eyes ran over to Bonnie and Kai, grinning at them. "Hey!" He greeted. "I just saw the coolest street performer with the team. We finished practice early and took a walk on the board walk," he continued to ramble, paying no attention to the group of adults who were gaping at him.

"Tommy!" The twins yelled, immediately reaching forward for the teen. The boy smiled, "Hey little monsters," he placed a kiss on each twin's forehead before looking at Bonnie and Kai. He took notice of their shell shocked expressions, prompting him to frown. "What did I miss?" He asked, finally glancing at the group of strangers.

Bonnie finally found her voice again, "These are some old friends of mine, honey. From my hometown in Virginia." She attempted to smile despite the awkwardness of the situation—they were all about to find out what she has been up to after all of those years she left Mystic Falls.

Tommy turned, flashing a bright smile at the adults. "Hey," he waved. He noticed the younger blonde woman frown in confusion, while the rest just stared at him.

The teenager looked at the shocked faces of the adults, not fazed by the weird reaction. He gets it all the time when he introduces his parents to anyone. "Adopted," he offered with a smirk, pretending to wince when Bonnie ruffled his hair affectionately. After the embarrassment of blatant mom affection wore off, Tommy picked up his little sister while Kai passed over his brother. The twins were yelping his name, excited to be near their older brother, and Tommy didn't resist smiling widely at his enthusiastic siblings. Putting Amelia and Aiden down and taking both their hands, he turned toward Bonnie and Kai. "I'll watch the little monsters."

Kai and Bonnie nodded their heads, thanking him silently. Kai dug into his pocket and pulled out a 20 dollar bill, but before Tommy could snatch it out of his hand, Kai raised his finger in warning. "You'll use this money to buy some cotton candy for you and your siblings. No blowing it all on arcade games."

Tommy rolled his eyes at the lecture, simply nodding along. "Okay," he assured while taking the money. Kai grinned at the teenager, ruffling his hair just like Bonnie did earlier. "Okay," he whined, "Enough with the hair thing. People could be watching."

Bonnie shook her head at her son's protests. "Remember to get only one cotton candy for Amelia and Aiden to share." She heard the tiny groans from the twins, and gave them a stern look. "You haven't had dinner yet. You two will share."

They pouted at her, clutching their older brother, "Yes mommy," they stated in unison.

Tommy began leading them away, pausing briefly to glance over at the still shocked adults he had just met. "Nice to meet you all," he added politely before glancing at his adoptive parents. "Bye. Love you."

The twins followed the lead of their brother and shouted "I love you's" as they skipped away from the adults. Bonnie and Kai both responded simultaneously, "We love you." They glanced at each other, momentarily swept away by the reality of their family.

When they broke eye contact, they were faced with the openly gaping stares of everyone.

Bonnie was the first to break the awkward silence. "So how did you all end up here in San Francisco?"

Stefan, the first one to recover from the shock of seeing Bonnie and Kai again, answered. "We're on vacation. None of us have been here, so we thought we'd check it out."

Damon finally woke up from his state of shock, prepared with a harsh quip on his tongue, "We weren't expecting to see you on our fucking vacation. What the hell?"

"Touché," Kai responded without any visible anger. "Except this is _our_ home." Kai enjoyed stressing the "our," because seeing Damon's anger flare awoken the old feeling of euphoria he got whenever he pissed Damon off. It was minor payback.

Damon sneered, "Your home? Bonnie, this is what you have been doing all of these years? After you split without a word to anyone, you settled on the West Coast and started a family with this asshole?"

It didn't take long for Bonnie's patience to officially run out, "Well we aren't just talking about Kai are we? Did your mom turn out the way you expected? Is she living a murder free life?"

Damon and Stefan grimaced, neither making an effort to answer. The silence was the only answer Bonnie needed. "Still hypocritical as ever," she spat with disgust before looking at Kai. "See honey? Nothing's changed. Time has stood still. No aging and no change in possessing common sense."

Bonnie missed the look of revolt on Damon's face as he watched the two of them. "What about you Bonnie? You married this psycho and willingly had children with him!"

Bonnie snapped her head back, eyes blazing with anger. "Shut up Damon, don't think you have the right to come to my home and insult my family. You're playing with fire," she warned in a menacing tone. Kai just watched her silently, crossing his arms, and squinting suspiciously at Damon. He was trying to maintain his own self control.

"Oh so now Kai is a good guy. Tell me is he already prepping for the day your twins turn sixteen and they can fight to the death for coven leader?"

Kai and Bonnie's eyes widened, stunned by Damon's harsh words. In a flash, Bonnie sees Kai lunge at Damon.

Somehow, both Damon and Kai ended up in a physical struggle with Damon winning physically and strangling Kai by the neck. Bonnie screaming, felt her magic course through her, but being in public seriously inhibited her from acting on it. Before she could continue the inner struggle, a bellowing yell surrounded the adults.

"Hey!" Tommy screamed the words as he held the crying twins. "Get away from him!"

"Tommy," pleaded Bonnie, "Please stay out of this. Take the twins home!" She stole one more glance at Kai before running towards her kids. She scooped up the twins and had no time to stop Tommy from rushing over to Damon and Kai. Jumping on Damon's back, Tommy started pounding on his back, "Get off my dad. Stop!" The teenager's cries sparked something within Kai, and he suddenly developed the upper hand by sending the most painful aneurysm possible that sent Damon to his knees. As Damon dropped to the ground, Kai grabbed Tommy before he fell and held him behind his back protectively.

Tommy just clutched onto his dad's shoulders, eyes widening at the sight of the man rolling around in pain. He felt his mom's lips against his forehead. "Honey are you okay?" She questioned frantically. The twins were whimpering in her arms, clearly confused and frightened by all of the commotion.

Tommy looked at her, "Mommy? What's happening?" He was forced back by Kai when Damon's cries stopped. Turning to look, Tommy felt all of the blood rush out of his face when he made eye contact with a pair of black eyes and barred fangs. "Holy..." Tommy's voice trailed off when he noticed his mom stepping in front of all of them. The twins now stood behind Kai, holding onto Tommy's legs, cowering in fear.

"Damon," Bonnie whispered his name in such a menacing tone that every member of her family felt a chill traverse down their spines, "Enough. You're scaring my children." She made eye contact with Caroline and Elena, her eyes filling with tears at the thought of his distant they all grew from one another.

Caroline began to open her mouth, ready to finally speak to her long lost best friend, but the sound of cheerful greetings forced the words back into her throat. The group of vampires turned to see a couple, roughly the same age as Bonnie and Kai, walking a dog and holding the hand of a little girl.

"Hey Bennett-Parkers!" The man yelled happily. "We brought back Sasha!" The smiling couple walked closer, still unaware of the tension they unknowingly walked into. "Thanks for letting us walk her," the young woman added, before turning to the little girl. "Emily is very excited to walk her new dog once we pick her up from the shelter tomorrow." The little girl jumped up happily.

"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Parker! I'm totally ready to take care of my doggy!" The little grinned, showcasing two missing front teeth, as she skipped over to the twins with Sasha trailing behind. The little girl handed the leash over to Tommy who immediately wanted to make sure their golden retriever was safe from whoever his parent's friends were, so he latched onto the leash and gently tugged the dog closer. "Thanks Emily," Tommy expressed as smoothly as possible. Bonnie and Kai followed their oldest son's lead and plastered fake smiles on their faces to try and appease their best friends.

The couple returned their smiles, now a bit hesitatingly when they finally noticed the group of strangers huddled across from their friends. "I'm sorry!" The young woman exclaimed, her eyes sweeping over the group of adults. "Where are our manners! I'm Avery and this is my husband Cole. We're friends of Bonnie and Kai."

"Our best friends," a soft voice joined in. Bonnie smiled gratefully at the small family, suddenly remembering what finding true friends felt like. The Masons have been Bonnie and Kai's close friends for years, and both of them were incredibly fond of the friendship.

Caroline and Elena frowned, hurt completely evident on both women's faces. Bonnie just openly admitted to having another pair of best friends. Nothing felt right.

"We're old friends of Bonnie. From Virginia." Caroline managed to exclaim the words with a small smile on her face despite the painful tug she felt in the pit of her stomach at losing touch with one of her closest friends and now witnessing her new life.

Realization dawned on Avery and Cole's faces, "Of course! You must be Caroline and Elena! And their husbands…Stefan and Damon, right?" Avery smiled at the vampires. "Bonnie has talked about you so much. It's great you finally made it to San Francisco! How long will you be staying?"

Kai couldn't resist answering, "Not long. They were just here for a quick sightseeing trip. We ran into them unexpectedly." Kai sneered briefly before quickly transitioning into a fake grin. "Right everyone?" He made eye contact with Damon who stared back, eerily quiet.

"Yeah, we just came for a visit. We probably should get going though," Stefan cordially responded to the friendly couple, clasping his brother's shoulder tightly, "Right Damon?"

Damon ignored him, convincing the couple that they interrupted the visit.

"We have to get going anyway," Cole answered while patting his daughter's head. "Emily has ballet class." He directed his attention to Bonnie and Kai, "You all are still coming over to the house for dinner, right? We have to try out that new grill."

Kai smiled, genuinely this time. "Of course. We'll be there." He and Bonnie smiled at their friends who began to retreat.

"Bye, it was nice meeting you all!" Avery and Cole waved before turning around. Their daughter chirping up as they lead her away, "Bye Mr. and Mrs. Parker! Bye Tommy! Bye Amelia! Bye Aiden! Bye Sasha! Bye strangers!" She flashed them a smile and grabbed her parents' hands. Once the family was at a safe distance, Bonnie and Kai dropped the happy expressions and faced the vampires with guarded eyes.

"Tom," Bonnie whispered. "Take the twins and Sasha home, okay? Your dad and I will be there soon."

Tommy's eyes shifted to the group of strangers, his teeth clenched in anger. "No way. I'm not leaving you two alone with _them_." He spat the words out in disgust, causing Caroline and Elena to flinch away. This was Bonnie's son, and he looked at them like they were the enemy.

Now it was Kai's turn to address his son, "Tommy, please listen to your mom. I promise we'll be right behind you." He turned around so he could pat his son's cheek, "Okay?"

Damon snorted at the image of Kai being so domestic. "Yeah Tommy! Wouldn't want to make your father angry. He tends to stab people—even your mom. Did ya know that? Your daddy almost killed your mommy countless times." Damon perked up at the opportunity to sabotage this fake family moment. It was all an illusion to him—there was no way Bonnie wouldn't settled down with Kai. It was all a joke to him, so he felt no remorse trying to shatter the facade in front him.

Widening her eyes, Elena grabbed Damon's arm roughly and pulled him back. "Damon," she reprimanded. "Stop."

Tommy stared at Damon, his voice shaking when he looked back at his parents. "What's he talking about?" His eyes, wet with unshed tears, shifted back and forth between them. "He's lying, right?" Tommy had come from a broken family—his parents drank, did drugs, and abused him constantly until a neighbor finally called child services on them. He was taken out of their custody at 10 years old and lived in the orphanage for two lonely years before a young couple came along and rescued him, giving him a family and hope for real home. He just couldn't bear the thought of his adoptive parents sharing any qualities with his birth parents.

Bonnie released a shaky sigh, "No honey. Your father and I love each other. We love you. We promise that will never change." Bonnie grabbed her son's cheeks, forcing him to really look into her eyes. "No violence. Remember the pact we made together?"

Kai's eyes were downcast, but he still reached for his oldest son's hand, gripping it firmly. He closed his eyes, remembering the day he and Bonnie brought Tommy home. They had learned about his sordid history from the shelter, so they spent months of the adoption process preparing themselves to care for a child that was a victim of severe abuse. The journey forced himself to confront his own past and led him into intensive therapy. Both he and Bonnie still see therapists for their psychological trauma—both from different circumstances—but damaging all the same. Still, they made sure to care for their children to the best of their ability and ensure that they never feel unsafe again. He and Bonnie also made Tommy a special promise to always be kind and gentle with one another. No physical violence no screaming and no threats. They were both committed to abiding by that promise despite their sordid past history.

The contact forced Tommy to focus his attention on Kai, and as soon as he recognized the sad expression on his dad's face, Tommy felt the remorse hit him. "I'm sorry, dad." He sputtered, his voice quivering. "I don't know why I'm listening to that guy. I know you would never hurt mom." The teen rested his head on Kai's shoulder, the twins who were holding onto Tommy's leg, now waddled over to Kai and wrapped their small arms around their dad's legs. "Don't be sad, daddy," Ameila said.

Bonnie watched her children comforting Kai, tears now spilling down her face. She wrapped her hands around Kai's free arm, leaning into kiss his cheek. "Listen to our children," Bonnie pleaded into his ear. "We have made so much progress. Don't listen to him, okay?" Kai lifted his head, looking into his wife's eyes. He grudgingly nodded his head, prompting Bonnie to kiss him firmly on the lips. What Damon and the rest didn't know is that Kai went through serious bouts of depression and PTSD along with Bonnie. But unlike her, Kai felt the trauma of being the murderer, the one who hurt his family, and the person who brought Bonnie so much physical and psychological pain. He suffered from the guilt and self-hatred for so long that the simplest of comments could serve as a trigger.

When Bonnie broke the kiss, she decided to make it her mission to protect her family. "Kids…go with daddy. He will take you home, while I say goodbye to my old friends." She met Kai's gaze, silently telling him not to argue.

Tommy looked at the group suspiciously, but followed his mom's orders. "C'mon dad," he tugged on Sasha's leash, kissing Bonnie's cheek and started to walk away from the group. He never turned to say goodbye to them.

Kai's gaze lingered on Bonnie for a long stretch of time until he lifted his hand to graze her cheek, leaning down to kiss her gently. "I love you," he murmured against her lips. "See you at home." He offered her a weak smile before bending down and picking up the twins. Placing a kiss on each cheek, he carried them snugly against his side and followed his son without another glance to Damon or any of Bonnie's old friends. He just wanted to go back home and be reminded that his life is different now.

Bonnie watched them leave, her right hand twisting her wedding bang set around her ring finger. The sun had begun to set, creating a peaceful view of colors against the water. She sighed deeply, finally speaking up when her family was gone. "How dare you," she looked at Damon with disappointment. "This is why I never called or wrote letters. You still don't respect me."

Elena stepped forward, "Bonnie…we had no idea. Please, we missed you so much. I mean—you are a mom," Elena quieted down as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I missed all of it." She glanced at Caroline who was openly sobbing now. "We all did."

Bonnie looked at her two best friends, her face contorting into remorse. Gliding forward, she stopped in front of the crying vampires and pulled each one in for a hug." "It's okay," she whispered, "You're here now." She pulled away, "I'll call, okay? But, I need to get back. They need me." She looked at Damon now who now looked at the ground. "When you are all ready, I'd be happy to introduce you to my family. But for now…" she gulped heavily, "I'll let you enjoy your vacation." Her eyes wandered around, "It's beautiful city," she stated wistfully.

They all watched as she left. The resident witch of Mystic Falls and the girl struck by tragedy and constant sacrifice now lived a peaceful, normal existence. It was the way it was supposed to be.

0000000000000000000

When Bonnie opened her bright blue front door and entered her classically styled San Francisco house, she was greeted by a sight that completely erased all of the horrible things that happened that day. Her family huddled on the couch, watching a Disney film, and saving a spot on the couch for her. She stepped forward, squeezing Kai's shoulder, before settling down next to Tommy.

The teenager rested his head on her shoulder, "You okay, mom?"

Bonnie nodded her head, running her fingers through his floppy hair. "I am now, sweetheart."

 **The End**

 **A/N: So much fluff! My eyes! They are burning! lol This was so much fun to write. I hope you all enjoyed this. Thank you for supporting this story. You all are awesome! Keep living the BonKai life! :D**


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